Recalling the last time he tried to buy something for his wife he said she rumbled him and realised it was not his idea.

The 41-year-old said, "I came unstuck on my anniversary. I came into work and all the women in the office asked me what I have bought my wife. When I said I had just got her a card they told me to send some flowers.

"I did and they arrived but my wife just rang up and asked me if it was really my idea or the girls in the office. I was rumbled."

The client services director at Quadrant PR admits that romance does not come naturally to him.

"It would be easy to say that it is down to time - that is a great excuse, but really I am never sure if she appreciates the gestures. Whenever I buy her something nice then she always says 'What's that?'"

Admittedly the father of four does not do so well when he tries to buy his wife Julie flowers. "Whenever I do romance it is always a bit of an afterthought. My wife banned me from buying flowers as I kept getting them from the petrol station.

"It's not anything like the price it is just because I have generally forgotten and I get something where it is convenient."

WELSH businessmen are dismal romantics, with only one out of 10 treating their partner to a gesture of flowers or perfume in the past six months.

Long hours and a lack of thought have been blamed for the fact that Welsh women are left empty-handed when it comes to romance.

Welsh men come out of the survey poorly, as three out of 10 Scottish businessmen and two out of 10 Englishmen have treated their partners.

However, Welsh men did manage to redeem themselves when asked what the most romantic gesture was that they had ever performed.

One North Walian said he had arranged a romantic weekend away in Milford Haven for his partner, but forgot as the date arrived and double-booked with a work meeting.

The businessman persuaded his newly qualified pilot friend to fly him from Lowestoft to Wales to meet his girlfriend for a champagne lunch for two.

Jason Zemmel, owner of halfpriceperfumes.com, who produced the survey, said, "This is typical of cash-rich, time-poor individuals.

"Long hours in the office and on the golf course leaves very little time for spontaneity. In the world of stocks and shares, tight deadlines and back-to-back meetings are taking precedence over wistful romantic gestures.

"I'm afraid there does not seem to be enough love in the air in the cities of Wales."

However, not all businessmen in Wales are devoid of romance and some say they try their hardest to show their affection.

Mike Jenkins, a partner in law firm Leo Abse & Cohen, says he tries to make up for the long hours with romantic gestures.

The 37-year-old father-of-two said, "My wife does appreciate that sort of thing so we do try to get away for long weekends, especially if I have been away working.

"I am conscious of trying to make an effort. I work long hours, I have a lot of dinners, lunches and time away from home and that can be difficult for my wife Alyson and our two children. She is very supportive of me and this is my way of trying to make up to her."

Mr Jenkins said that although they have two young children Olly, six, and Bethie, who is two, the couple try to make an effort to go out for regular meals out.

"We like to take off for a weekend or the occasional night away without the children or just go out for a nice meal."

Mr Jenkins also said he tries regularly to buy flowers for his wife.

He said, "On Fridays I try to come home with a bunch of flowers for Alyson and yes I do buy them myself."

The survey asked 100 Welsh workers in addition to businessmen from Scotland and England, how often they had spent money on perfumes, flowers or romantic trips away.

While romance could be dead in Wales, it seems love for football is not. According to research for computer game Championship Manager one in three Welsh football fans would miss their partner's birthday for a match and one in four would miss a funeral.